With Spring almost upon us its time to start preparing that beach body now for the summer and what better way to start by getting firmer legs & glutes.
EXERCISE 1 Squats
Squats are the king of lower-body exercises. Why? Well, they work pretty much every muscle in your legs while strengthening your core, hips, and lower back. Just make sure you get the most out of the movement. With a back squat, stopping at parallel or just barely below puts most of the emphasis on your quads, leaving your glutes less engaged.
Squatting until you’re below parallel—the lower the better—puts the emphasis on your glutes and hamstrings. The narrower your stance, the more focus you put on your quads.
When squatting, be sure to maintain proper form: Keep your legs shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly out.
EXERCISE 2 Weighted Walking Lunges
These elevate your heart rate and will make you sore the next day. With your arms at your sides and a dumbbell in each hand, step forward. Lunge and alternate legs with each step. Lunge low. Make sure your front knee do not extend past your toes.
EXERCISE 3 Barbell Hip Thrusts
The hip thrust activates and builds the glutes to a much greater extent than squats, and even to a greater extent than deadlifts.
Sit on the ground with your back against a bench, feet planted firmly in front of you, and a padded barbell in your lap. Keep your knees stable, raise the barbell by extending your hips, and push your hips upward with your glutes.
Rise until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, then slowly lower back to the ground.
EXERCISE 4 Stiff Leg Deadlifts
To do these properly and take the focus off your lower back, push your hips back as far as you can until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings. I prefer to keep my feet positioned in a close stance, but you can make them sumo—feet wider than shoulder-width apart and slightly pointed out if you wish.
Keep the bar as close to your legs as you can. Keep your back straight. Go down as low as you can while feeling a deep stretch, and then come back up. Don’t let your lower back round.